The lips are one of the thinnest surfaces of the human body, making them susceptible to moisture loss. They don’t possess oil glands either, meaning they can’t hydrate independently. As such, it’s common for them to become chapped, flaky, and sometimes even painful. Dry lips remedies home can be the solution.
Dehydration is one of the main reasons why dry lips occur. However, other factors can also be the root cause of this condition.
What Causes Chapped and Dry Lips?
If your body lacks moisture, it will compensate by getting much-needed water on the cells. Your lips are not excluded from this, leading to them becoming sore and chapped. However, there are also other reasons, including the following:
- Weather Conditions. If the air gets too dry, it will sap moisture from your skin. This especially happens during the summer, but the cold months are just as worse.
- Lip Licking. Biting or licking your lips in select situations can also lead to them drying out. Saliva can hydrate the inner parts of your mouth but not your pout. It contains potent enzymes that can wear out your lips over time, making them rugged and chapped.
- Drying Lip Products. Not all lip products have a good effect on your lips’ health. Some contain ingredients that may make your pout even rougher, like mentholated lip gloss. Other drying components include flavorings, lanolin, camphor, and eucalyptus.
It’s never fun to suffer the discomfort dry, chapped lips bring. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to turn this condition around.
Check out the following ways how to moisturize and heal your lips for a healthier pout(dry lips remedies home):
Apply High-Quality Lip Balm
Sometimes, applying lipstick can only make your already chapped lips more irritated. As such, opt to use high-quality lip balms instead. Not only will this relieve you from the dry, flaky feeling on your pout, but also moisturize your dry lips. Choose one containing soothing ingredients such as beeswax, ceramides, and shea butter. Don’t forget to re-apply every two hours, especially when you’re outdoors. Tip: it’s also a great idea to purchase a lip balm with SPF properties to avoid worsening your condition. Sun protection on your pout is also a must to prevent the development of cold sores.
Load Yourself Up With Water
If you’ve long been suffering from chapped lips, you may want to up your water intake. Dehydration is one of the leading reasons why your mouth feels dry and flaky since the body lacks moisture. To compensate, your cells will pull fluid from other body parts, your lips included. The only thing you can do to counter this is to make drinking water a habit, enough to reach the recommended daily intake. Note that the amount of water you should drink in a day depends on different factors, including your age, sex, and everyday activities. Alternatively, you can drink coconut water for extra minerals and hydrate yourself if you’re not a big water drinker.
Don’t Skip Exfoliation
If you have a solid skincare regimen, there’s no doubt that you’ve used facial scrubs once or twice. These exfoliants have another version, one specifically made to slough off the dead skin on the lips. These products are often made with sugar or honey, effective in smoothening and renewing your pout. As an alternative to these, you can use a mixture of sea salt and honey to get rid of chapping and flakiness. Remember to apply the products in a gentle circular motion to prevent your lips from getting even more irritated.
Avoid Picking, Licking, or Biting Your Lips
If you have the habit of picking or licking your lips constantly throughout the day, it’s time to stop. It’s the culprit behind your chapped, dry mouth, which can lead to irritation and extreme discomfort. True, this may be your natural reaction if they feel tight and dehydrated, but doing so will only make the problem worse. Once you coat your lips with salivary enzymes and it dries, the skin on the area gets broken down bit by bit. This will lead to chapped lips with small lesions and wounds. It may even become a chronic habit resulting in an illness known as lip licker’s dermatitis, which can develop into an infection.
Invest in a Humidifier
Humidifiers are crucial to your household since they add moisture back to dry, indoor air. Atmospheres like these can be the root cause of your chapped and rough lips, so these devices can be your saving grace. This is especially if you’re always suffering from dry lips in winter, due to the loss of water in the skin. Humidifiers are also great against the summer heat; they keep the air humid enough so your lips won’t lose moisture and start peeling painfully.
Rely on Proven Dry Lips Remedies Home
More often than not, you can save yourself from unnecessary pain and peeling by trying out proven dry lips remedies at home. These are generally effective, so long as you use ingredients with moisturizing properties. Luckily, you have plenty of options in your pantry and nearby grocery stores. For instance, you can use coconut oil which contains emollients that soothe chapped lips. Aloe vera is useful, too, especially since it can exfoliate your pout on top of its soothing properties. Butter can also be an alternative since it can restore your lips’ natural oils.
Switch Up Your Diet
The lack of moisture in the air is not the only culprit behind your chapped, dry lips. Sometimes, the reason behind your peeling pout is your food intake and the nutrients you absorb. If you want to soothe your lips, you should say goodbye to harmful late-night snacks that only compromise your skin barrier. Skip out on spicy foods, too, especially since they can further irritate your lips. Instead, ingest healthy sustenance rich in fats and collagen. These include salmon, peanut butter, whole grains, and leafy greens.
The Bottom Line
Healing your chapped lips will take several weeks, depending on the dryness and severity of symptoms. To speed up the soothing process, you should allocate time to do some of the tips above. However, if you see no progress despite religiously applying lip-friendly products and drinking plenty of water, seek help from a professional. This is because a dried, peeling pout can also be your body’s signal for a serious underlying health condition.
Try all the dry lips remedies home we mentioned above!
